Becoming the middleweight champion and defending that crown against the likes of all-timers like Israel Adesanya isn’t an easy task. But Dricus Du Plessis managed to vanquish his foes with a tad bit of perseverance, awkward style, and a hell lot of hard work. Well, this achievement not only pushed up in the UFC athlete rankings and popularity, but it also made him pretty wealthy. 

But how much has the 185lbs gold standard earned from his recent fights? And how much does he earn from his brand sponsorships? If you’re wondering the same, let’s take a look at the South African’s finances and witness his financial growth. 

Dricus Du Plessis’ net worth and endorsements

Most of us had already guessed that the South African middleweight champion was already a millionaire. Du Plessis’ net worth reportedly hovers around $1-2 million or even more. His journey in the realm of mixed martial arts began in 2013, and he fought under the banner of EFC and KSW. But his fate began to change when he defeated Brendan Lesar in late 2019. That bout got him on the maps and was the ticket to UFC. 

Du Plessis gets his endorsement money from giants like Sports Nutrition, SuperSport, Vivify U, and World Sports Betting, to name a few. Vivify U even nominated him for their International Fighter of the Year in 2023. No doubt, ‘Stillknocks’ has come a long way. But it’s not just the sports and nutrition brands that have endorsed the champion with 22 wins and just 2 defeats in his professional MMA career.

The Real Hennies have also shown support for the middleweight champion who happens to be a pretty popular restaurant chain in South Africa. And with their support for Du Plessis, their value simply skyrocketed. On top of that, Banxso, a South Africa-based online trading platform, has also endorsed ‘Stillknocks’. 

But how much is the first-ever South African UFC champion’s career earnings? Let’s take a look at that and find out the amount of money that Dricus Du Plessis earns from his fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. 

Dricus Du Plessis’ career earnings

The South African’s UFC debut was made with a base salary of just $16K. Well, he did receive a performance bonus of $75K for his first-round KO win, and another $16K as a win bonus. And he received $4,000  from brand sponsorships. Since then, his earnings have simply risen. Now that he has become a champion, he reportedly receives $800K as a base salary and $42K from brand endorsements. He’s also a part of the PPV payout now. His last fight at UFC 305 against Israel Adesanya got him a total amount of more than $2 million. 

The time he fought Sean Strickland for the middleweight belt at UFC 297, he received the standard amount of $300K. That’s the base salary that every title challenger usually receives. Coming from $16,000 for a fight to $800,000 to show up for a fight, ‘Stillknocks’ has indeed come a long way. 

Now, the 185lbs champ is set to rematch Strickland at UFC 312. With the middleweight championship title on the line, things are certain to get interesting. But we got to wait for Saturday to witness the outcome of the battle. Do you think Dricus Du Plessis can break the records of his earnings with his performance in Australia? Drop down to the debate section below and let us know what you think of the middleweight champion’s earnings.